Elves
Elves There are two distinct major races of Elves in Myradon: Sylvan Elves ("sun" elves) and Sidhe Elves ("wild" elves), and a minor group of half-elves called Elves of Shiff. There are approximately twice as many Sylvan Elves as Sidhe Elves, and the Sidhe are much more reclusive; rarely encountered outside of the north-western Footlands, Ashtar, and the Mist Mountains. Sylvan Elves make their home in the nation of Sylivas, but freely travel to most other nations of the land, save for the Ogre stronghold of Gruthar, and the monotheistic land of Bhesina. These elvish cousins do not cross paths with each other all to often, but when they do, they are cordial and polite with one another, if not overly warm. The third group of elves, much less populous than the Sylvan and Sidhe groups, are actually half-elves, descended from Sylvan Elves whom integrated with the dark-skinned Mushiff Humans of the Footlands, and are referred to as the Half-Elves of Shiff. Sylvan Elves The Sylvan Elves in Myradon are a branch of the class "sun" elf family. They can be somewhat aloof to the other races (but not necessarily always), but are quick to learn new ways and have no real trouble integrating into human society if needed. They do generally seem to prefer to live isolated lives locked away in the hidden villages of their homeland Sylivas, seeking to avoid the conflicts of ambitious humans and greedy dwarves, but there are plenty of individual elves whom venture out into the world to make their fortune. Like all elves, Sylvan Elves place a very high standard on beauty, especially beautiful natural surroundings, which they manipulate to suite their aesthetic taste. Homes are build right into living trees by warping the wood to grow in the form of their structure, without hurting the tree. Limbs are carefully, almost surgically, removed from the healthiest of trees to be used in woodworking, so that the source tree does not perish Natural caves are carefully expanded upon to form basements and storage caverns without disrupting any animal dens if possible. Ornate wreaths of living flowers grow all over their buildings, adding beauty to the structures when they bloom. Only enough game is taken from the forest to feed the people, and the elves never make trophies of their kills. Sidhe Elves Wild and free, the Sidhe Elves eschew modern concepts of cities, steel, and writing in favor of a much more primitive existence, closer to nature and to the worlds of faeries and spirits than their Sylvan cousins. Sidhe elves do not form cities, and are almost always nomadic, migrating from one patch of forest to another, sometimes for no obvious reason. They follow migrating game sometimes, but often their movements are directed by superstitions from the Fae World. These faerie threats seem invisible to normal folk, but the Sidhe are connected to the Fae world much more so than other non-Fae races, and must respect that world's rules. If a white bird is seen circling a camp counter-clockwise, for example, then the camp is to be broken immediately and sacrifices made to appease the spirits. And these actions by the Sidhe are not simply primitive superstition, the bizarre fae beings who dwell alongside them in the deep forests actually do seem to view the Sidhe as distant cousins, and therefor hold them accountable for following the faerie rules. The Sidhe Elves of the forest kingdom of Ashtar and the surrounding area have a "primitive" ritual, dating back to the time of the Barbarian Kings, which involves postmortem cannibalism. Their dead heroes and family icons are taken out of their tombs and certain body parts are cooked and consumed by devoted family members or neighbors. Only the mummified heart, entrails, neck joints, thigh bones and fingers can be consumed. Because this ritual occurs once a year (in late summer), most crypts or tombs have been re-entered at least once, and graves older than a few decades are usually completely pilfered of the selected body parts. Sidhe Elves are masters at converting animal hides to leather, a trade they cooperate with the devilish Recaps on. Leather armor produced by the Sidhe is considered to be of the finest quality in the land, and their camping gear is lightweight, waterproof, and well-suited for fast traveling. The Sidhe have never been skilled at metallurgy or blacksmithing, preferring to use simple iron implements for weapons like knives, swords, or axes, which could not effectively be made from other materials. Cold iron is also a useful thing to have when dwelling in lands peopled by strange and hostile fae, so every Sidhe Elf has at least one cold iron dagger stashed on them at all times. Sidhe Elf communities are almost always led by warrior-women. Men are the craftsmen, artists musicians, lawyers, farmers, nurses of the society, but the women are the leaders, the shaman the warrior-poets, the politicians, and the heads of households. The Half-Elves of Shiff Long ago, the borders of the elven homeland stretched further than they do today along the southern coastline of the Mainlund. When the Mushiff humans arrived in boats, they slowly displaced the elves, who continued withdrawing back into their reclusive woodlands. However, one line of prosperous elf nobility did not wish to give up their holdings in the coastal area, and instead chose to integrate with the newly arrived humans. These elves intentionally interbred with the Mushiffs and became much more like their new neighbors than their elven fore-bearers The Half-Elves of Shiff are now roughly a 50/50 elf/human mix, and their place in the Mushiff society is something akin to nobility mixed with geisha concepts. They retain a fair bit of wealth and power, but only because having them in one's household or court holds great value to the Mushiffs. The Shiff Elves are great cortisones and entertainers, and have adopted some of the wicked ways of the gluttonous Mushiffs when it comes to wealth, parties, and power. Their elf cousins are greatly offended by this intermixing, and thusly do not deal much with the Shiff directly.